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A Start on the Dream

President Obama has been an overachiever on immigration enforcement, far outpacing his predecessor, George W. Bush, in swiftly racking up a million deportations. But on the other crucial part of reform — getting undocumented immigrants right with the law — Mr. Obama talks a lot but has done far too little.

We don’t minimize the political obstacles, although the president could certainly have pushed a lot harder. Congressional Republicans are determined to block the comprehensive immigration overhaul Mr. Obama promised for his first term. They have even blocked the Dream Act, which would legalize potentially hundreds of thousands of undocumented young people who were brought here as children and demonstrate their good citizenship by going to college or serving in the military.

There is one important thing Mr. Obama could do right now to give these young people hope: He could use his executive authority to halt deportations of those who would be eligible for the Dream Act.

Young immigrant advocates, through an inspiring series of protests, marches and other lobbying efforts, have built a strong case for both temporary protection and legalization. On May 28 they sent Mr. Obama a letter, signed by more than 90 immigration-law professors, explaining the ways he could grant these young people “administrative relief” while they wait for Congress to do the right thing.

The White House has been insisting that only Congress can pass the Dream Act, and that it can offer deportation relief only on a case-by-case basis. But the professors point persuasively to other presidents’ use of executive authority to protect groups for humanitarian reasons, as when Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton shielded Cubans and Haitians from deportation. The Obama administration has done so, with orphans after Haiti’s earthquake.

Mr. Obama’s reticence in the face of restrictionist fervor has preserved a dismal status quo. The Dream Act is one small measure of relief that most Americans would support and young immigrants need. Mr. Obama should do everything he can to protect these young people now.

A version of this editorial appears in print on June 4, 2012, on page A24 of the New York edition with the headline: A Start on the Dream. Today's Paper|Subscribe